“Champions keep playing until they get it right. “
– Billie Jean King
25-year-old Kamalpreet Kaur is an athlete from Punjab, India, who specializes in discus throw. She was encouraged by her sports coach in school to pursue athletics and as Kaur herself was never interested in academics, she agreed, hoping that this would help her escape classes. Kaur started taking the sport seriously in 2014 and began her initial training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in her village. Her rigorous practice and natural ability soon began to yield results as she became the U-18 and U-20 national champion in 2016, says Wikipedia.
Against all odds
In a patriarchal country, Kaur did not have an easy road to the Olympic platform from an impoverished family living in a village. In India, women are primarily supposed to be at home, get married, and take care of children and the elderly. A career in sports is a dream beyond a dream. “As it happens in villages, girls are under pressure to get married at a very early age. I knew that if I don’t do well at studies and am not able to make it to a good college, my fate would be the same. However, I was determined not to meet that fate. I wanted to do something different. So I thought sports will be my ticket to a job and avoiding marriage.”, said Kaur in an interview. With her father’s support, Kaur pushed through adversity and made a name for herself.
According to the IOC, her efforts in encouraging young girls to empower themselves have earned her the position of district ambassador for the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative which aims to improve the efficiency of welfare services for girls in India.
Career
In 2017 she placed 6th at the World University Games and finished 5th at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships. She is a two-time champion of the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships, where she made history by throwing past the 65m barrier to become the first Indian woman to do so. She now holds the national record for women’s discus throw at 65.06m.
Kaur made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as only the second Indian woman to qualify for the finals in the discus throw. She finished at 6th place and her performance has been applauded by spectators worldwide. Kamalpret Kaur has paved a path for the next generation of young girls who find it impossible to make a career in sports. Her journey encompassing adversity, sacrifice, and hard work is an inspiration to children worldwide who aspire to be athletes like her. It is an honor to witness a spectacular and trailblazing journey. We bow down to Kamalpreet Kaur’s courage and passion and look forward to many more historic accomplishments.
#GCPWishesKamalpreetKaur #GCPAWishesOlympians
Team Global Child Prodigy Congratulates Kamalpreet Kaur for her historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This will inspire millions of people worldwide, including children who aspire to be like her.
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